02608nas a2200385   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653002600080653002700106653002900133653002400162653001800186653003800204653002100242653001600263653001100279653002100290653002100311653002500332653001600357653002500373653002500398100001400423700001900437700001400456700001800470245020100488300001000689490000700699050001400706520148800720022001402208       1997                            d  c1997 Sep10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aAntibodies, Monoclonal10aAntigen-Antibody Complex10aAntigens, Bacterial10aChaperonin 1010aEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay10aErythema Nodosum10aGlycolipids10aHumans10aImmunoglobulin G10aImmunoglobulin M10aLeprosy, lepromatous10aMiddle Aged10aPolyethylene Glycols10aRecombinant Proteins1 aRojas R E1 aDemichelis S O1 aSarno E N1 aSegal-Eiras A00aIgM anti-phenolic glycolipid I and IgG anti-10-kDa heat shock protein antibodies in sera and immune complexes isolated from leprosy patients with or without erythema nodosum leprosum and contacts.  a65-740 v19  aROJAS19973 a<p>The aim of the present work was to evaluate the levels of anti-PGL-I and anti-10-kDa heat shock protein antibodies in serum and immune complexes isolated from leprosy patients, convivients and controls. Leprosy patients with erythema nodosum leprosum or without it were included and a comparative study was done to investigate intergroup differences. Immune complexes were precipitated from serum by polyethylene glycol 3.5%; antibody levels were measured in sera and in dissociated immune complexes by ELISA. Serum antibody levels were then correlated with immune complex-associated antibody levels. The results showed that the erythema nodosum leprosum group differed from controls, contacts and non-erythema patients in their immune complex levels. IgM anti-PGL-I and IgG anti-10-kDa heat shock protein antibodies were constituents of the immune complexes in patients with erythema nodosum leprosum, who exhibited a significant difference in their immune complex composition compared with controls, contacts and non-erythema patients; while free antibody levels (anti-PGL-I and anti-10-kDa) did not differentiate between erythema and non-erythema patients, the measurement of immune complex-associated antibodies demonstrated a significant difference between the two clinical conditions. Furthermore, the measurement of immune complex-associated anti-PGL-I IgM made it possible to differentiate between contacts and controls. The significance of these results is discussed.</p>  a0928-8244